Soroptimist Workplace Campaign helps abuse victims

Submitted by Wendy Kaiser

Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence

If you are being abused, or know someone who is CALL the

National Domestic Violence Hotline:

1-800-799-SAFE

On November 25, Soroptimist International of Newport Harbor Area will “paper the town purple”—the color associated with domestic violence—as they join with Soroptimists all over the world to distribute purple cards with domestic abuse prevention information to local businesses, in women's restrooms and if possible, in employee paychecks. They will also distribute information leaflets in workplaces to assist employers and coworkers to provide resources for helping abused women. As an organization of working women whose mission is to improve the lives of women and girls, Soroptimist specifically targets the workplace, where several domestic violence victims are found each day.

The Soroptimist Workplace Campaign to End Domestic Violence coincides with the United Nations-designated International Day to Eliminate Violence Against Women. Last year, more than 400 Soroptimist clubs participated.

Many women cannot escape domestic violence when they go to work, it follows them in the form of harassing phone calls and emails, or their abuser shows up at their place of business. Lateness, absenteeism, and lowered productivity in the workplace can result from domestic violence. The workplace is the ideal place to help women facing domestic violence because it’s where these women spend at least eight hours a day away from their abusers. 

According to a World Bank study, one in five work days lost for health reasons by women is the result of domestic violence. In the U.S., 96 percent of employed battered women experience problems at work due to domestic violence. There are 13,000 acts of violence against women at work each year by their partners. Homicide is the leading cause of on-the­-job death for women, with some 20 percent of these women killed by their spouses or partners.  

Domestic violence also causes entire countries’ economies to suffer, and millions of dollars in health care, law enforcement and court costs can be lost. The Inter-American Development Bank found that the cost of domestic violence causes Canada to loose $1.6 billion per year. Researchers in the U.S. found the economic losses sustained as a result of domestic violence range from $10 billion to $67 billion per year.